Puzzle.



w. R. JOHNSTON.

PUZZLE.

AFPLHIATION FILED JAE-1.22. 1918.

1,285,207 Patelfted Nov. 19, 1918.

allot n21;

, wILLIAM in. Jomvs'roir, 0F ELLWooncrrY, PENNS LVANIA.

PUZZLE.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. JOHN- STON, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Ellwood City, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain. new and useful Improvementsin Puzzles, of'which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to games and toys and particularlyto puzzles.

An object of this invention is to produce novel means forproducing a puzzle ,in'which movable parts are adapted to move over a surface having obstructions to the passage of the movable members and which also have traps or apertures through which the movable members escape, means being also prowhichare here shown. The dividers or par .titions may have fantastic configuration, but

vided for limiting the areaQover which the members may move and causlng them to be confined within an area over which ltpis -more or lessdifiicult for them to travel without being trapped orobstructed.

A further object of this invention is to produce a puzzle having novel means by which the movable members can be gathered or collected and redelivered to the surface of play, the saidinventionwhich includes these novel features being comparatively inexpensive to manufacture With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and m ths arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in. the several views, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the puzzle; 7

Fig. 2 illustrates a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings 5 denotes a receptacle,

preferably of metal having a cover 6, the,

wall of the receptacle being preferably inturned to form a flange 7 adapted to engage a glazing 9 which constitutes the upper wall of the casing when the cover is removed. The glazing rests on a cylindrical member 10 which is inclosed in the casing, and the said cylindrical member constitutes a sup- W186 has a recess 21 at Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 19, 1918. Application filed January 22, 1e18, Serial No. 213,182.

port forthe diaphragm 11 which diaphragm has a plurality of apertures 12 of diiferent.

diameters arbitrarily detennined by the size of the movable members 13 which are .to be directed over a circuitous passage von the diaphragm in order to test the ability'of the operator to manipulate the device so as to cause the movable members to travel over the surface of the diaphragm without being trapped by falling through the apertures of the diaphragm;

, The diaphragm may likewise have a plu-;

rality of embossed or raised areas 1d and 15 of any appropriate configuration and they may be situated at proper positions with relation to the apertures and with relation to dividers or partitions 16 and 17, two of I have found it of interest to shape one of the partitions,"that is to say the one identithat I. have placed an aperture at each end ofthe partition 17. I

it The diaphragm has an opening 18 at one edge and the diaphragm'around the opening is preferably flanged slightly as at 19 to prevent the movable members from entering the apertures which it guards and the purpose of the aperture is to permit the collection of the movable members by turning the casing on edge so that the movable members will gravitate to the opening whereby, by tilting the casing, the movable members will travel toward the glazing and then by further manipulation, the said movable members may be caused to pass on to the diaphragm. The partition 16 has a plurality of recesses 20 at its lower edgewhich constitute passages for the movable members so that they may reach the space between the two partitions, and the partition 17 likeits bottom edge through which the movable members may pass necessitating the manipulation of the device to collect all of the movable members in the area inclosed by that portion of the partition having the said aperture 21 which purpose, therefore, of the puzzle is to 001- lect all of the movable parts in this area by moving them from the western inolosure or the space inside of the partition 16, the movable members thus representing vessels traveling from America to England whereas the perforations in the diaphragm are con sidered to be submarines through which the movable members drop it encountered, thus indicating the loss of: such vessel.

7 It will follow from the foregoing description that delicate manipulation of the device is necessary to prevent the movable members from escaping through the apertures or through the recesses of the partitions and its operation will create interest and amusement.

The partitions have their ends anchored to a cylindrical member 22 which is interposed between the glazing and the diaphragm and in assembling the parts one or both ends of the partitions may be anchored to the cylindrical member but preferably both ends are anchored,

The construction operation and advantagesor' theinvention will, it is thought, be apparent from the foregoing description, it being noted that various changes may be resorted to in the details without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I have used the term glazing herein and by that term I mean any transparent closure or cover which may be in the nature of glass, celluloid or other material.

I claim:

1. In a puzzle, a casing, an apertured diaphragm therein, means for supporting the said diaphragm, a cylindrical member on the diaphragm, partitions of irregular outline anchored to the said cylindrical memher and resting on the diaphragm, said partitions having recesses in their lower edges Gopies of this patent may be line anchored to the said and movable members forming passageways,

the diaphra gm.

adapted to travel over 2. In a puzzle, a casing, an apertured diaphragm therein, means for supporting the said diaphragm, a cylindrical member on the diaphragm, partitions of irregular outcylindrical memher and resting on the diaphragm, said partitions having recesses in their lower edges forming passageways, movable members adapted to travel over the diaphragm and projections on the surface of the diaphragm forming obstructions for the movable members.

3. In a puzzle, a casing, an apertured diaphragm therein, means for supporting the said diaphragm, a cylindrical member on the diaphragm, partitions of irregular outline anchored to thesaid cylindrical member and resting on the diaphragm, said partitions having recesses in their lower edges forming passageways, movable members adapted to travel over the diaphragm, projections on the surface of the diaphragm forming obstructions, a glazing covering the said casing, and means for holding the glazing in place.

4. In a puzzle, a casing. an a'pertured dia phragm therein, means for supporting the said diaphragm, a cylindrical. member on the diaphragm, partitions of irregular outline anchored to the said cylindrical memher and resting on the diaphragm, said partitions having recesses in their lower edges forming passageways, adapted to travel over the diaphragim'projections on the surface of the diaphragm forming obstructions a glazing covering the said casing, means for holding the glazing in place, and a cover for the casing.

iVILLIAM R. JOHNSTON,

obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, 30. G.

movable members 

